Please help my roses

7 years ago

Please see photos. I don’t know what is wrong with my roses, after leafing they stop growing, look likes it burnt or dried out. What can I do to make them grow again and how to prevent this. Thank you.

Featured Answer

Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Sorry. That's a classic sign of rose midge. It's not everywhere, but it's a scourge where one finds its as it will spread to every one of your roses and you won't have any blooms until you eradicate them. Unfortunately, there are as yet no known predators so the choices are chemical and/or organic cultural methods. For chemical there are three basic ones, but one is an organophosphate and while it will work it's intense and I've found no studies to follow for its application. The other two are imidacloprid which is best applied as a granular to the soil after winter around pruning time to kill the special overwintering pupae as they emerge and then any that do live as they feed on the rose, since it's a systemic. Get one that doesn't last longer than six weeks in the plant and you may be able to avoid affecting the insects that feed on the pollen. You may also want to do this with newly planted roses. Cyfluthrin is another chemical used as a spray. It's best to use it only on emerging shoots and buds as this is where the midge lay their eggs. It will need to be repeated ever 10 days or so. When you use products that have a longer life in the plant they will kill anything feeding on the pollen such as bees, moths and butterflies, since they remain active as the buds bloom. Try and choose those with a shorter life as opposed to those you apply once a year.

Organic cultural methods include removing the soil and mulch about 2 inches down and replacing. Also cover the ground with landscape fabric and do the same with any potted plants putting them on a hard surface. The midge can only pupate in soil, so the fabric prevents them from reaching the ground and also emerging. Since it's impossible to reach all areas, you may still have to spray for a while. . If you don't have underplantings do try the fabric as it's worked really well for me.

Whatever you do, do it now or you won't have any flowers and it will spread to all your other roses. Their life-cycle gets shorter and shorter with warmer weather. Take advantage of this window.

I just realized I should have asked where you live. (You can add that info to you name). If it's in the south this could also be Chili Thrips. They look similar, but I'm not familiar with the nuances or the treatment. Hope this helps

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (19)

Embothrium
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Those are just side shoots that have reached the end of a growth flush. Presumably you will soon be seeing more new growth coming, elsewhere on the bush if nothing else. If your bushes instead just remain as they are for an extended period (during which you see other roses elsewhere continuing to grow) then maybe yours are not being watered enough, for instance.
Related Professionals
Baton Rouge Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Cumberland Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Vineland Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Orangeburg Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Yuba City Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Kennewick Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Fort Myers Landscape Contractors · Athens Landscape Contractors · Springfield Landscape Contractors · Georgetown Landscape Contractors · Petersburg Landscape Contractors · Rochester Landscape Contractors · Hays Home Builders · Knoxville Home Builders · Dickinson Home Builders
summersrhythm_z6a
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Yes, Vap is right. You got midge! I have been fighting against midge for years!
Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & warm/humid S z6
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Vaporvac and Summersrhythm are dead on right, rose midge fly damage, the scourge of roses....difficult to get under control.

Moses
Emily Yang 10B Scal
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you everyone for the comments.
Hi Vap, I live in Redondo Beach, CA only 1 mile from the beach. Yep, this year I don’t get any bud from my Chrysler Imperial at all. She was doing so well last year. I think i will go with spray. Thanks again.
summersrhythm_z6a
7 years ago
Since you are only a mile from the beach, it must be windy over there. cover yourself well before spraying, remember to wear a mouth mask.
cyndita (west coast zone 9)
7 years ago
Based on the location (SoCal), could it be chili thrips? Anyone know if chili thrips can cause this type of tip damage?
Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
7 years ago
I think it does cyndita.
summersrhythm_z6a
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Rose midge started in NJ in 1886, and it somehow made it to California a long time ago.

http://www.sactorose.org/ipm/84rosemidge.htm

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/midge-treatments-roses-29732.html

Chili thrips damage looks different than midge damage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP7ID2jZy98
Embothrium
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Yes, since there is tip abortion it could be rose midge. I didn't think of that because to me mere tip abortion is not the "classic" midge damage. With the much more extensive, noticeable and frequently photographed early season damage functioning as that instead - see at page below for photos of both.

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nurspest/rose_midge.htm
lkayetwvz5
7 years ago
OMG! This is what I had last year and got no new growth or flowers on more than a few of my roses. I posted pictures but no one commented. I thought maybe it was botrytis but didn't seem quite right. I even had it on rose bands I had shipped in the fall that I overwintered in my workshop. They were never in the ground. Does every square inch of ground in the garden need to be covered or only a perimeter under each rose?
summersrhythm_z6a
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Sorry Ikayetwv, I must have missed your post last year, so were the other gardeners. Rose midge can fly 100‘+, there goes everyone’s whole yard pretty much.
Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
7 years ago
I must have missed it too. I generally always reply to midge posts. when you mention covering, do you mean with landscape fabric or insecticidal granules?
Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
7 years ago
I must have missed it too. I generally always reply to midge posts. when you mention covering, do you mean with landscape fabric or insecticidal granules?
Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
7 years ago
I would have to agree with rose midge. Rose midge is the worst enemy in my garden. I’m a bit surprised to hear that this is a problem where you live. Midge numbers have always declined in my yard when the weather is dry. I just reread above and see your close to a water source. I wonder if midge is a serious problem anywhere that is dry.
Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
7 years ago
OT, glad to see you posting Patty!
Perma n’ Posies/9A FL
7 years ago
I just got two little roses with the same problem.

Has anyone tried dusting DE below or even on the roses with midge?
Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
7 years ago
It's worth the try on the soil as it may dry them out but I don't see how it could affect anything once they in fact the rose itself. It's even hard for sprays to get to them which is why the best are systemic. Tobacco tea will help but needs to be applied often.
User
7 years ago
When that happens to my roses I pinch off the "burnt" looking tip and throw it away (do not compost). No spraying needed. In any case, it's unwise to spray if you aren't totally certain of the cause. Tobacco tea is highly toxic for animals and humans as well.